Cramps

[Mighty Spoke]

Anyone got solutions for cramps?

 

At the ends of rides (last few km's) I am cramping up, often a joint effort by my quads, hammies, and calves........ and both legs simultaneously! Try stretching that one out!!!!!

 

Once I have downed some satchets and game, I can ride on tentatively. It is normally at a last push to the end, on an acceleration by the group when extra effort is required.

 

I am taking around 2 sachets during the race, normally GU, and two bottles of Game or Energade, drinking regularly.

 

Are you more succeptable once you have cramped once? I seem to remember that form swimming.

 

 

[SwissVan]

 

Roughly speaking cramping is your bodies "built in safety mechanism" to slow you down before you do more serious damage to the muscles as a result of exerting yourself harder and for longer than what your muscles are used to.

To some extent you can train harder or wiser to get used to hard race efforts and hopefully not cramp, the other option is to ride more conservatively in the early stages and plan your efforts.<?: prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

 

You could also spend $$$ and swallow lotsa shiit to try prevent cramps, chances are they wont make much diffs unless you really have a major defciency.

 

Cramps have been discussed plenty here, try do a search you should find lots.

[Cornelis]

Tempo workouts is one way of getting beyond it.

Other than cramps due to dehydration, which once done is impossible to solve, only slow rehydration will aid recovery.

Tempo running is what long distance athletes employs to "train" their muscles to cope with additional lactic acid and hydrogen ions, which causes the fatigue effect, pretty similar to fartlek training, slow start with a high intensity stretch ( 85-90 % of max hart rate ) followed by slow stretch etc etc. It seems a lot of cyclist are content clocking miles at a comfortable pace, but come race day either by following the group or focusing on the Cateye they press much harder than they would in practice, your body needs to be accustomed to that level of pressure and be "trained" to cope with it physiologically.

Some people are more prone to cramping than others though, as for a lack of sodium, highly unlikely, modern diets are over supplying us with sodium as it is.

[sias]

Train more and harder...

[henk]

I was advised to take REHYDRAT by Pfizer the day before a long race. Available a most chemists.

[Wannabe]

Heared from a pro rider that they swallow a couple of Rennies the moment they start to cramp.?

I also use to suffer from cramps before (bad, as in total seize-up of legs) Changed my diet and training habits a bit, and no more cramps. As a matter of fact, I train less than before, but my times have improved. Also have your bike set up properly, could be a contributing factor.?

[zeepee]

I wish Graham Smith read this thread before he went to the World Cup............

[CycleJunkie]

 

Train more and harder...

 

If your training rides are usually say 80km, then you will be cramping at the end of a 100k race. Your training on occasion, even if at lower intensity than race effort, should be longer/further than you race. This gets your muscles used to  the duration/distance.

 

All the other tips about tempo riding to improve lactate endurance, diet etc are valid too, but if you do not do the distance in training, you will be cramping if you push it in a race.

 

Another thing, you do not get fit by training, you get fit when you recover properly. (a la Joe Friel)

 

So if you have cramped, some sessions of deep tissue massage with stretching will spped up the recovery and help repair the damage. I used to cramp a lot (still do if I push too hard) so have done a lot of research. Also bear in made that everyone is different so what works for some, may not work for you

 

[Edition 507]

 

At the ends of rides (last few km's) I am cramping up 

 

Just make your rides shorter by a few k's and you will be alright

 

No seriously, u need to train as hard as you race or race more often and you will come right.

[Mighty Spoke]

Thanks all,

Will take a serious look at diet, hit the training harder and longer.

Rennies.... Anyone tried this?

 

[Mighty Spoke]

Oh yes...

And the farlek sounds right too. Used to do that for jogging, before I saw the light and converted to cycling.

[HammerHed]

Rennies does not work, I ate 12 in a race and still cramped.

 

Train at the intensity you want to race at, and do the base miles. You can't get around those fundamentals.

 

I tried all the diet related stuff last season and still cramped, nothing worked. I was real strong from MTB races but did not have the base miles (aerobic  fitness) so after 90k at a very high intensity (road races) staying in the B bunch on most races would cramp no matter what I did.

 

This season I did the base miles and can feel a big difference in my aerobic endurance already. Now comes the power training and intensity stuff.

 

[Mighty Spoke]

12 Rennies!!!

 

You probably needed to down some acid to save your stomach!

 

Thanks for the advice, more time on the bike.... never bad!

[Contaminated Haggis]

You name it I tried it, from Rennies to salt in a plastic pouch to those little green capsules. Nothing worked for me until I tried Energy Dynamics Octane Version 4. I think its the protein that sets it apart from the other brands of hooligan juice.

 

Give it a bash, I havent cramped since.

[Mighty Spoke]

Thanks DGR,

 

Who stocks Energy Dynamics? Can never find it, always only Gu, Supergoo, and othe stuff I have never tried.